Sunday, August 10, 2008

Obama Fact Check

I need you Obama supporters to confirm or disabuse the following info brought forward by a Republican fellow. Here are the "facts" about what he said:

(Speaking about Obama)... "He is half-white, which he rejects. The rest of him is mostly Arab, which he hides but is disclosed by his non-African Arabic surname and his Arabic first and middle names as a way to triply proclaim his Arabic parentage to people in Kenya . Only a small part of him is African Black from his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is exclusively.

"What he isn't, not a genetic drop of, is 'African-American,' the descendant of enslaved Africans brought to America chained in slave ships. He hasn't a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead, HIS ARAB ANCESTORS WERE SLAVE OWNERS. Slave-trading was the main Arab business in East Africa for centuries until the British ended it. Let that sink in: Obama is not the descendant of slaves, HE IS THE DESCENDANT OF SLAVE OWNERS...." (the author's emphasis)

Okay folks...are these comments true? (And please don't give me a cynical "what's the point?" or "how is that relevant to anything?" I am asking honestly, are those comments accurate?)

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Paul,

I am not sure about that. I do know that he was born into a Muslim family with a father and then step-father who were active practicing Muslims. There is some question on whether Obama himself ever was a hardcore practicing muslim before becoming what he is now. His brother alledgedly has said that Yes, Obama was indeed a practicing muslim, but who knows.

As far as parentage, and racial blood lines, I do not know for sure.

Jason The said...

I'd say call the Senator if these are nagging issues for you, Paul. He has an office after all. Actually, I could do it for you, if you'll give me permission to say "Paul Mero of the Sutherland Institute wants to know..." Heh.

But really, "How is this relevant?"

All snark aside, I'll see what I can find out for you.

Anonymous said...

I'd say even if it were true (which I doubt, as his mother is from Kenya... not exactly a huge Arab population there), it would probably be easier to track John McCain's ancestors back to slave ownership than it would be Obama's. You should stop talking to whoever told you this Paul, it's probably not good for Sutherland policy analysis to have an idiot in the mix.

Anonymous said...

This wasn't, by chance, a member of the Constitution Party you were talking with, was it?

Anonymous said...

Outside of Anon 9:21, who actually was trying to be helpful, why does this post bother you others so much?

Why not just be helpful, if you have time, to answer the question...is that stuff factual or not?

Anonymous said...

I find it scary Obama has yet to show his birth certificate - he is hiding something.

Unknown said...

One possible key to this question is what part of Kenya are Obama's ancestors from. For several centuries, Arabs had a significant commercial presence on the east African coast, including Kenya.

Anonymous said...

This is just a variation of this email:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/ownwords.asp

Anonymous said...

Um, my ancestors owned slaves too.

I must be a bad, bad person.

Anonymous said...

"I am asking honestly, are those comments accurate?"

I honestly don't know, do you? Do you have any proof that anything he said is remotely accurate? If not, then why must you play such silly games?

Anonymous said...

As far as the birth certificate goes, its right here. McCain was the one not born in the U.S. eek! :)

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert

Alice said...

Have any other presidential candidates been asked to show their birth certificate?

I love how those email forwards have certain parts in ALL CAPS, just to point out the parts that are SUPER RELEVANT!!!

I love snopes, there'd be a lot less stupid email forwards going around if more people would check there first.

Bekkieann said...

I'm with Allie. This isn't a racehorse we're electing here. Has anyone else been asked to prove his lineage? I'm embarrassed for you, Paul, that you think this is an important issue. May I ask you to explain why you think this is important?

Go to "Fight the Smears" http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome/ to see Obama's birth certificate.

Anonymous uses the word "scary" which is prolific throughout all the anti-Obama propoganda. I hope anonymous is no longer scared now he/she can view the birth certificate.

Good lord, people!

Monumental Divide said...

I need you McCain supporters to confirm or disabuse the following info brought forward by a patriotic, family values Republican. Here are the "facts" about what he said:

(Speaking about McCain)... “I heard he committed treason in Vietnam and because of what he did as a pilot he could be charged with war crimes.

And another Republican said he has a girlfriend on the side – and everyone knows it because it was well documented by The New York Times. He cannot control his temper and often beats up his wife, Cindy, who supports him because her family has been so successful selling beer. How can she stay with him through all this? McCain even offered her up at a biker fest in South Dakota last week. He wanted her to enter a beauty pageant in which the contestants were mostly strippers and drug addicts.

And this same person had seen McCain’s lumpy cheek and said he had heard he has terminal cancer.

And he had heard that McCain’s inability to locate Pakistan or Iraq borders was a clear sign of rapidly advancing Alzheimer’s.

And didn’t our president say McCain fathered a black baby?

Okay folks...are these comments true? They certainly don't reflect what many Utahns believe a president should be. (And please don't give me a cynical "what's the point?" or "how is that relevant to anything?" I am asking honestly, are those comments accurate?)

Anonymous said...

Just like liberal commies who had drugged up mommies, you guys avoid Paul's question. The question is one of constitutionality. But I know that means nothing to you gay marriage loving people. IF Hussein Obama was NOT born here, his presidential run is unconstitutional, period.

Do you medical marijuana advocates get that?

Anonymous said...

Actually Anon 9:21, Paul's question was in regards to his religion and his ethnic background. A commenter asked about his birth certificate. (maybe its you that should put down the roach clip :))

African-American does not mean a "descendant of enslaved Africans brought to the US in slave ships"

African-American "are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa." So, yes, Obama is African-American.

Anonymous said...

Is it true that McCain once called his wife (Cindy that is, not the disgusting cripple he abandoned after a bad car accident) a "trollop" and a "c**t"?

Paul? I am honestly asking. Is this true?

Obi wan liberali said...

What an irrelevant set of questions. You go back far enough, we're all african-americans.

But my understanding is this, Barack Obama has a caucasian mother and a father from Kenya. Kenya has alot of muslim/arab influences like many nations of eastern africa and finding a name like Hussein in Kenya is like finding a name like Smith in Utah.

Obama does not descend from slaves, like most african-americans do, but being an American with significant african descent, classifying him that way isn't unreasonable.

BTW, people of Enlglish descent have a fair share of African DNA due to England's possessions in the south of France during the middle ages(Gascony, Aquitaine, etc.)and the tendency of English nobility to intermarry with their neighbors to the south in Navarro, Castille, Leon, etc. These proto-Spaniards intermarried with their Moor neighbors to a considerable degree which means, the more English royalty you are related to, the higher percentage of African DNA you tend to have.

Bekkieann said...

You define ad hominem, Anon 9:21. It's easy to see why you don't reveal your identity.

Please see my earlier comment pointing you to the birth certificate. Obama was born in Hawaii. He is an American citizen.

Next wild-eyed accusation?

Anonymous said...

Leave us medicial marijuana users out of your discussions about O BONGA...Lets talk about energy indepdence and the electric car...

JM Bell said...

Hell, McCain was born in Panama. Hawaii is a state , Panama is not.

So ...

Also, while I think that Paul's questions are only relevant with the tint of a GOP sponsored set of vaguely racist talking points that feed the ignorant and unconstitutional move to make anything not "Christian*" illegal, he's got a right to ask them. No matter how idiotic those questions may be.

Paul is just draping himself in a cape of make-believe, spreading alarmist theories under the all-too-transparent guise of being a concerned and caring supporter of a member of the search for truth.

He just wants to believe (that you're stupid enough to buy into the Muslim-Manchurian Candidate horse excrement that he and his like to spread)!

C'mon, folks, he put a bunch of question marks in there to avoid libel; what more do you want?

:)

_____
* WWJD? Not act like this, that's what.

JM Bell said...

sub. 1 - I think it was Panama. It was a military base somewhere. Military bases are technically US Soil (whereas Hawaii IS actually US soil). Just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

I thought Obams real name was Barry? And muslim or not, he hangs out with enough people who hate America, that I'd never vote for the slob.

Anonymous said...

Barrack "Cocaine" Obama. You realize how closeley Hussein rymes with Cocaine! Coincident?

Jackwatsan said...

Obama got more pollos from pblic not only in US in he got more support from Muslims his pool agenda also good but in this agenda not an importance of Software.any how wqait and see.
===================================
Jackwatsan

Utah Treatment Centers

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm busted. I was experimenting with this post.

I hate these ridiculous minutia-driven political "facts" as much as anyone. But I see this same sort of tactic here and on other blogs and thought I would test my hypothesis: there are few honest political partisans.

It is not that the "devil in the details" is not relevant or important (it actually does matter if someone running for president is a US citizen or not, or if a presidential candidate is fudging his identity or not)...it's that political partisans cannot seem to admit what is a fact (good or bad) and what isn't (good or bad)...they tend to ignore what "hurts" and respond with stridency.

It goes on with both sides. Everyone gets pissy, is evasive, and misdirects the conversation...and this has posting has been a perfect example of all three.

While I appreicate those comments that actually tried to give an answer, more telling for me were all of the partisans who "projected" and saw the posting as they view their "opponents"...petty and sniping.

Anonymous said...

Jeez, thanks Paul...

What made you think it was appropriate to use this blog as an experiment? I guess you think that we are your guinea pigs.

JM Bell said...

Are you shi*ting Paul?

You "experiment" like that and then get all pissy about partisan sniping?

F**kin unbelievable.

Actually, it is believable. I mean, you do helm the organization with the the ironic awareness enough to have Newt Gin-Grinch come to town to talk about Family Values. (I thought it was the funniest thing ever until I found out ya'll were serious).

Anonymous said...

Thanks for providing just one more proof of my point, JM.

Rob said...

GO OBAMA!

Anonymous said...

Paul Mero's modus operandi:

Make a ridiculous argument. When his argument is called out as ridiculous he claims that's just proof of his ridiculous argument.

He can't lose! Clever Paul. Somewhat douchey, but real clever.

Anonymous said...

Don...seriously? You, too, prove the real point I was making.

You guys should chill...really...let it go.

Anonymous said...

Of course I do Paul. That's my point. ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Paul Mero. I'm going to rattle off some "facts" that are petty and irrelevant. In fact, I really have no idea if there's any truth to them at all. But if you dare to get pissy about my "facts" then that's just you being a petty, dishonest, sniping political partisan who's not worth my time. Got it? Great. I win!

Unknown said...

I guess it isn't a smear when you put a question mark at the end of it and ask your readers to "answer your question."

Read Obama's first book, where he talks about his father and his father's side of the family. It's pretty obvious then that your "facts" are just lies with question marks at the end. What not apply for a job at Fox News?